“Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?”
"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?" — Job 41:11 (also Isaiah 41:11) reinforces: no one has given first to God such that God owes a debt (apodidōmi, to repay). All blessing is grace, not recompense. Creation, redemption, and consummation are God's prerogative acts.
Church Fathers on Romans 11:35
“For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counsellor? Or who has first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?” What he means is nearly this: that though He is so wise, yet He has not His Wisdom from any other, but is Himself the Fountain of good things. And though He has done so great things, and made us so great presents, yet it was not by borrowing from any other that He gave them, but by making them spring forth from Himself; nor as…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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